I Had My Acne Zapped With Electric Current — Here's What Happened

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16 Nov 2016 8:20 PM

Mi-Anne Chan

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Getting your face zapped by a glass rod with electric currents running through it doesn't sound very pleasant. And as you can see in the video above, it looks pretty freaky, too. But the treatment, called a high-frequency facial, isn't as bizarre as it seems.

I'd heard coworkers and friends describe the high-frequency treatment as a godsend for acne-prone skin — a category which I fall into. My skin is oily, and as of late, clusters of zits keep popping up along my jawline (perhaps due to the seasonal shift?), so the idea of a bacteria-killing, inflammation-reducing, circulation-improving, non-invasive procedure sounded pretty damn appealing. I had to try it, so I went to one of Dermalogica's New York spas, where the high-frequency treatment was performed as an add-on to a traditional facial.

To my delight, the process itself was virtually painless. When all was said and done, the effects weren't immediately noticeable, but I woke up the next day to find that my painful and bulbous pimples had significantly decreased in size. A pimple that would typically take four days to heal was on its way out by day two — and I was stoked.

That being said, a high-frequency treatment is not the one-and-done solution to all your acne woes. You've got to be committed to taking care of your skin on the daily. But if you are suffering from a particularly bad breakout, the electric current can definitely help reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process. Since going under the laser two weeks ago, I haven't experienced any breakouts. But the next time I do, you can bet I'll be running back to the spa and asking the facialist to wave this magic wand over it.